Guided visualizations is a common tactic for self-assessments. The tool came top of mind as I work on understanding in more depth the process of creating a life vision [1].

During a coaching session with a friend, I had to switch roles from student to teacher [2]. As I helped guide my friend through a visualization, I had an Aha moment when he got stuck.

He's a multi-passionate individual, so he was unsure of what to visualize. During the exercise he found himself surrounded by particular details. These details limited how he felt about his visualization as he saw himself doing more and being more.

He got very specific mentioning details that described him as the owner of a branding agency. But then he felt divided because he had a different path in mind.

On a second round, we put the visualization through a silent film filter. Under this filter, my friend had to describe what he could only show through a silent film.

As a result, he got more detailed (but less specific) on what he was visualizing. The silent film filter drove descriptions such as "I'm helping people with their branding strategy" to "I'm giving a presentation to a small group. The presentation has pictures, graphics, and videos. I'm shaking hands with everyone. Everybody is happy."

He was describing an ideal work day where he could be creative, share his ideas, sell, and feel valuable. He was explaining what he wanted to do, but without limiting his vision to a specific path.

Through this approach, he can now create specific goals to achieve his vision, no matter what path he decides to embark first.